In his proclamation, Ford makes his case for why Marley-who was born on Feb. 6 in 1945-is deserving of such a day, writing he is "an influential musician, advocate for human rights and international ambassador of peace."

Ford says Marley's music captivated "people of all cultures, broke music barriers and helped introduce reggae music to the world." And that Marley used his music to "tear down the walls of apartheid and promoted African unity, culture and world peace both at home and internationally, with songs like One Love and Africa Unite."